Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-03-20
rRvrNe,s READING OF HAMLET.
A Remarkable Performance by the
Great English Actor.
IIondon Telegraph.

HcmarHhbtc h-fFtofmuuefo W tHt
Great English Actor.
london Telegraph
Those who were lucky enough to be
present at Dreams buildings, Chancery
Lane, last night in the new theatre of
the Birkbeck institution, enjoyed q
rare intellectual treat. For some time
past il had been known that Mr.'Henry
Irving intended 10 devote one of the
only free evenings he can ever enjoy Mt
this time Of the year to giving alone
and unaided reading of Shakspeare's
tragedy of Hamlet" for the benefit OF
the building fund OF this admirable in
stitution. The success OF the en-
terprise exceeded all that the
most enthusiastic could have an
ticipated, since for close upon
three hours, with the very smallest in
terval for rest, Mr.. Irving held his au-
dience as in q wise he absolutely riy-
eted their attention and strained to the
very utmost the nervous interest even
OF those who, like the reciter, knew the
whole tragedy almost by heart. Ac-
cording TO conventional parlance, the
play of Hamlet" with the Prince OF
Denmark omitted is said to be the very
dreariest and most depressing of enter
tainments. II that be so, by exact con-
verse, how complete and admirable
must be "Hamlet" with the Prince
bringing his brains, his intelli-
gence, and mental energy to
bear on every individual char
acter in the play The charm OF
last nights entertainment consisted in
its welcome ease, its consistent grace,
and its complete unconventionality.
The reading, as it is called,-the re-
cital, as il really was, for it was merely
for forms sake and for aid to action
that the little volume was ever con-
suited differed entirely from any
thing of the kind that has ever been
presented to the public in our mem
DRY. II Mr.. Bellows experiment of
reading Hamlet with stage full Of
dumb actors and actresses at his back
illustrating the text in pantomimic was
the most extraordinary of recorded
performances, this one of Mr.. Irving's
was certainly the easiest and
most mentally satisfying. All the
tricks, the devices, and the self
conscious posings of the platform ora
tor and reciter were wholly absent, and
the even flow of the recital was not in
terrupted by calling out and repeating
every name and character. A gesture,
a significant glance, a wave of the
hand, sufliced to show who spoke and
who answered, and the dialogues,
which, as a rule, are the most difficult,
were in this case the most natural and
artistic. On the stage it is quite i'm
possible to find the Oram0tis persona
on an intellectual level with the Hamlet
of the occasion but last night We
heard suggestions-and very full sug-
gestionsthe were-ofa HOratio, a King,
a Ghost, Polonius, and First Grave
digger that seemed to touch directly
every chord of sentiment, sententious-
ness, and humor. UntrGmmelled on
this occasion by the attractive decora-
tons of the stage, undisturbed by
actual p6mp, and dress, and scenery.
the audience was better able to give it.
self wholly up to following the mind
of the actor whose attractive
power is so great and whose artistic
sympathy is so quickly communicated.
Even those who have followed Mr..
Irvings Hamlet again and again, point
by point and scene by scene since the
year 1874, when Mr.. Bateman proudly
announced that "those who have a voice
potential in art matters lave fixed
unanimously upon Mr.. Henry Irving as
the young English actor best fitted to
be the interpreter of the great English
dramatist's masterpiece, were sur
prised to find how deep and powerful is
his insight into Hamlet's character, and
how thoroughly he brings out his in
tense lovableness and his acutely ner-
vous sensibility. In the hush of
quiet lecture-hall and surrounded by an
audience distinguished for its intellec-
tual gifts we are able to recognize and
appreciate not only the study that Mr.
Irving has made of "Hamlet as a
whole, but his deep reverence for the
poet whose work it is. All the
reveries and solilo-
quies were particularly remarkable
last night, and came home to the audi
ence under better conditions than they
ever could do in the theatre. The
speech to the players, the soliloquy on
and that last reverie on death
with Horatio were especially striking.
and it was impossible not to interrupt
the popular actor with applause. The
only act omitted was the fourth, in
which Ophelia is almost wholly con-
cerned. and, as We have limited above,
with this exception, the entire
play and every character were
recited from memory. The hall or
theatre was crowed to its utmost extent,
and it was noticeable how many clergy
men of every denomination availed
themselves of this opportunity of see
ing and approaching the actor of
whom they had heard SO much. Great !
was the delight of all assembled when
Miss Ellen Terry made her way to the
stalls with distinguished party,
and she WIS cheered most enthusiast
iically by all present. The Lyceum band,
under the able direction Of Mr.. Mer-
edith Ball, played during the evening
the overture and entr'acte from Mr..
Hamilton Clarke's melodious and cha
racteristic "Hamlet" music, composed |
for the Lyceum revival of 1873. Occa-
Sonally, but very rarely, the orchestra
assisted during the recital, such aid |
being particularly effective at the death |
Of Hamlet, which was most effectively |
md POLITICALLY suggested by Mr.. Irving.
After four calls to the platform and
'hots of THANK you, sir :" the au-
Hence departed, deeply impressed with |
What they had heard.
-
Gayety In Northern India.
london World.l
Never has Northern India enjoyed so
yay season. Agra has, of course,
,oan N N oyroaf ayta,,f tho oantro &c ak